What a difference a year makes in Abilene’s travel and tourism outlook
There were plenty of frowns on faces this time last year.
For example, those in the tourism and travel industry.
The nation had been locked down for weeks. No one was going anywhere, especially to where COVID-19 held its tightest grip. Think New York state.
The Abilene metro area did not escape. All events were canceled or postponed for too long a time.
Numbers show that travel spending locally fell 17.7%, and employment by 14%.
In 2019, those visiting Abilene added more than $500 million to the local economy. That fell to about $416 million in 2020.
The Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau reports that at least 214 events were canceled, a loss of $17 million in direct spending for local businesses.
Statewide, travel spending was off 31% in Texas — a state the promotes and relies on visitors. Employment in the industry dropped almost 18%.
The numbers are sobering.
But this is May 2021, and during National Travel and Tourism week, ACVB Executive Director Nanci Liles is optimistic.
“I think the future looks very bright,” she told us this week. Abilene is rapidly returning to pre-COVID numbers, she said.
Take this weekend. A year ago, there were no college graduations and no Western Heritage classic, and few people were making plans to take out or visit mom for Mother’s Day. Especially if mom was in a care facility; those were closed to all visitors.
This year, Liles said local hotels are full.
And with folks still wary of going to large urban areas, places such as beaches, parks and outlying cities such as Abilene with things to offer are at the top of the list to go-to visit.
“We have the opportunity to welcome these people here,” Liles said.
She said airline travel is picking up but many people will drive, for now.
Recently, she attended a travel-related meeting in Austin. Normally, 900 to 1,000 attend, she said. There was a third of that.
Still, the event was “very much upbeat,” she said. They talked about what was learned, including the power of the travel industry. Think of all the folks who lost jobs or their jobs were curtailed – baggage handlers, merchants at airports, counter staff, etc.
Liles said car rental firms sold their fleets, creating what now is a shortage. And while there are hotel and airline bargains still to be had, cost to rent a car is up.
Gov. Greg Abbott, in a proclamation for Travel and Tourism Week, said Texas’ economic recovery will be driven by the industry.
“As we continue to bounce back, there is no doubt that we will come together to rebuild the state’s travel and tourism industry to be better, stronger and more innovative than ever before,” Abbott stated.
So, invite your friends to come see you in Abilene. The zoo is open and so are the doors to businesses downtown. The CALF, featuring author-illustrator Loren Long, is about a month off.
As Bill Monroe sang back in the day:
“Why’all come!
Why’all come!
Well, you all come to see us when you can.”
